Blanning and Baker Exposed: Labor Consultants Continue To Violate CAPS Member Rights

Blanning and Baker Exposed: Labor Consultants Continue To Violate CAPS Member Righst By Filing A Restraining Order Against CAPS Union Caucus Leader Charles Rachlis

California Association of Professional Scientists Fighting Union Caucus

Contact: Charles Rachlis FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cell Phone: 415-205-0359
Email: crachlis(at)yahoo.com


BLANNING AND BAKER EXPOSED: LABOR CONSULTANTS CONTINUE TO VIOLATE CAPS MEMBER RIGHTS BY FILING A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST CAPS UNION CAUCUS LEADER CHARLES RACHLIS
After physically trying to prevent CAPS candidate Charles Rachlis from entering the CAPS offices at #1 Sutter, Matt Austin, CFO of Blanning and Baker LLC, in an attempt to further keep information from Mr. Rachlis and the entire CAPS membership, filed a restraining order against him. Hearing to be held at
400 McAllister St., Courtroom 514, at 9am on Friday September 30th.

The CAPS Fighting Union Caucus members are angry at Blanning and Baker for taking CAPS money for years, all the while violating their rights, bylaws and corporation code sections 7510 (b), 7510 (e), 7512, and 8330. After two years of failed efforts to get Blanning and Baker to call a meeting of CAPS union members to discuss furloughs, pay cuts and other pertinent union business, disgruntled employees Will Wright and Charles Rachlis formed the CAPS Fighting Union Caucus to oust current CAPS board members and to cancel the union’s long term contract with Blanning and Baker. In response to this, Blanning and Baker changed the bylaws and have refused to convene meetings or give membership information to CAPS members who would like to call for a meeting via petition. Every attempt to reach the membership to explain the conditions of the Union relationship with Blanning and Baker has been blocked or prevented.

Mr. Rachlis went to the union office August 29th in order to examine the membership list as per California law, only to be physically blocked at the door by B&B staffer/CFO Matt Austin, despite having noticed CAPS of his intent to access the membership list on August 28th. Mr. Rachlis left the CAPS office that afternoon without a membership list or being given the right to view it. He received the list of CAPS members in the mail at home a few days later, but with no contact information, making it nearly impossible to use.

On Labor Day at 10 am the CAPS Vice Presidential Candidate was served with a temporary restraining order which will prevent him from attending to business at the CAPS office, from attending meetings where Blanning and Baker LLC (B&B) staffer Matt Austin and other named individuals are present. Matt Austin is seeking to make this restraining order permanent at a hearing this Friday September 30th at 9:00am at San Francisco Superior Court, 400 McAllister St, Rm. 514. Working class and union activists, members and nonmembers of CAPS are invited to come and show support for our struggle against the corporate control of our union and for union democracy.

David Miller, current CAPS board member and candidate for President, stated in November 2010 at a DTSC CAPS informational meeting, “no one cares about the bylaws”. Charles Rachlis responded to this, “The 2500 members of CAPS care. We are paying our money to Blanning and Baker to follow the bylaws and respond to our needs. Not to hold our hands and whisper sweet nothings while secretly making concessionary deals behind our backs”

The CAPS Fighting Union Caucus was formed in July 2011, when leaders Will Wright and Charles Rachlis discovered that Blanning and Baker had changed the bylaws related to member meetings and rights. If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Will Wright or Charles Rachlis, email Charles.Rachlis(at)yahoo.com or phone (415) 205-0359.



Director
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H. Mattson Austin is the Chief Financial Officer and a director for Blanning & Baker. Austin also serves as the principal labor relations consultant for the San Francisco office. He has been an independent labor relations consultant for 27 years.

Austin has worked with clients in a range of industries from government, entertainment, manufacturing, construction, the environment and engineering. He has spent a committed career working with employee groups to further collective bargaining, and enlightened managements to promote equity and participation in collective bargaining to mutual benefit.

Austin is an associate member of the State Bar of California Labor & Employment Law section, a member of the Labor and Employment Relations Association and a member of the Commonwealth Club of California. He has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Michigan State University, and has taken additional postgraduate coursework from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UCLA.

Austin has taught classes on negotiation and labor relations at Learning Tree University in Los Angeles and through seminars presented by Blanning & Baker.

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Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG)

Engineering California’s Future
PECG represents 13,000 state-employed engineers and related professionals responsible for designing and inspecting California’s highways and bridges, ensuring that schools and hospitals are safe during earthquakes, and protecting our air, water and beaches from polluters.

Blanning & Baker has provided professional representation to PECG since 1974.

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California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS)

Protecting Public Health, the Environment and California’s Natural Resources
The 3,000 state-employed scientists of the California Association of Professional Scientists work in over 30 state departments in 230 scientific classifications. CAPS members protect the public from life-threatening diseases, safeguard our wildlife and abundant natural resources, and protect our air and water from toxic waste and pollution.

Blanning & Baker has served as the professional representatives of CAPS since the organization’s creation in 1984.

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California Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA)

The Voice of Dental Hygiene
The California Dental Hygienists’ Association is the professional membership organization for Registered Dental Hygienists. The CDHA serves to promote the oral health of the general public, increase access to oral health care for under served populations and promote the professional growth and interests of its members.

Blanning & Baker has served CDHA since 1995.

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Committed to the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers
The Sacramento Regional Science & Engineering Fair encourages and rewards scientific, engineering and technological excellence among students in 6th through 12th grades throughout the Sacramento region. SRSEF also involves the business community, elected officials and the media through publicity, sponsorships, scholarships and mentoring opportunities. Past sponsors have included Intel, Liberty Mutual, Aerojet, Teichert Foundation, News10, PECG and CAPS.

Blanning & Baker helped create and now manages this non-profit, charitable foundation.

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Cost-Effective, Safe Transportation Projects
The National Association of State Highway and Transportation Unions (NASHTU) is dedicated to ensuring that federal transportation dollars are spent on cost-effective, safe projects that serve the public interest. NASHTU is comprised of 38 unions and associations representing hundreds of thousands of state and locally employed transportation engineers, construction managers and inspectors, technical workers and related public servants from throughout the United States.

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California Association of Professional Scientists (CAPS)
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